


Polarized

by Pure_oblivion



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Harley Quinn (Cartoon 2019), Harley Quinn (Comics)
Genre: Angst, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Harleen Quinzel Needs a Hug, Heavy Angst, POV Pamela Isley, Pamela Isley Loves Harleen Quinzel, Past Joker (DCU)/Harleen Quinzel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-09
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:42:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23084962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pure_oblivion/pseuds/Pure_oblivion
Summary: When Harley is forced to pick between Ivy and The Joker, her decision crumbles her entire world.
Relationships: Joker (DCU)/Harleen Quinzel, Pamela Isley & Harleen Quinzel, Pamela Isley/Harleen Quinzel
Comments: 125
Kudos: 420





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a new fan of DC because I've been absorbed by the animated series. I don't know most characters but I'm pretty invested in learning more. This is my first time writing for DC so pls be gentle and forgive about any mistakes, I'm trying my best :') Enjoyyy. Thoughts and comments are beyond appreciated! I'm working on reading some comics to get the characterisation right!

She had been so distracted by the blaring alarms of Arkham that she almost didn’t feel the prick on her neck before her body forced her to the knees. Groaning, Ivy clutched the ground as her vision began to swim. Various figures ran past her, all towards the hole that was opened up mere moments ago by a single explosion. It was difficult to determine who did such thing, and it wasn’t like she could do it right now. With her vision blurring every time she blinked, Ivy couldn’t uphold her focus for much longer. 

She wasn’t going to ask for help, all she needed to do was stand up- 

“No, you stay down!” A voice snarled in her ear. She wished she hadn’t known it so well. His boot dug into her back, forcing her towards the ground yet again, “So pretty, just like a flower emerging from the soil.” Ivy could _hear_ the shit-eating grin he wore on his face. 

And if she could wipe it right off, she wouldn’t hesitate. 

“I’ll see you after you wake up.” Those were the last words she heard before her eyes gave up, forcing her into a dimension of darkness where she was left with no control of her body or mind. 

Complete darkness welcomed her when she opened her eyes, and it wasn’t much different from when she had fallen ‘asleep’. Ivy began to doubt if she had even woken up. Maybe she was still knocked out by whatever contents joker had stuffed in that damned needle? 

“Good morning!” His humorous voice came after the speakers ceased giving out static, “It’s a beautiful day outside, wish you could see it.” 

He laughed, and Ivy could only presume he’d broken them out of Arkham. But why her? Why would Joker get her out? 

“Oh, fuck you.” Ivy growled and went to stand up. It was her first attempt at moving, and yet, she was bound. Thick ropes dug into her green skin, holding her in place. Eventually, she stopped all movements, because the more she tried, the more pain coursed through her body. 

“Now, you know me. I’m a man of manners, _Red_ , a thank you would be nice.” The Joker chuckled, and Ivy was sick of hearing that sound. 

She had to hold back the urge to scoff at him at the mention of manners. Truth was, he had none, and she was eager to remind him of that, “You seem to have a weird definition of manners. Beating your girlfriend is now considered manners? Or completely disregarding her when she pours her heart out for you. It’s an abnormal definition of mannerism, if you ask me.” 

All Ivy received was silence, and it stayed like that for a brief moment. She never once thought she’d got through to him, not even at the mention of Harley because it was evident he didn’t give a single shit about her well-being. He only cared about her success, and craved the lack of it.

Harley’s success meant his downfall. 

The Joker wasn’t the sort of man who accepted downfall from anyone who wasn’t Batman. 

“Harley…” He suddenly hummed, and before any more words could escape him, blaring lights hit Ivy right in the face. 

A part of her was relieved to finally see something. Ivy spotted an empty chair right beside her, and other than that, the room was practically void of anything else apart from dull walls with peeling paint. 

There was a door, but even that didn’t stay closed for long as Joker burst into the room, his grin wide and only growing in size once his gaze landed on her. 

Ivy wasn’t intimidated. Despite the obvious lack of plants or sunlight in the room, she wasn’t phased. He had her here for a purpose, because why else would he be the one to drag her out of Arkham? 

She supposed it was only right to ask him that as there was no other way to get answers right now, “Why am I here, really?” Her voice came out softer than she’d liked. The last thing Ivy wanted was to be soft with that son of a bitch. 

“Because Harley has an important decision to make and so do you.” He explained in a manner that felt more like a riddle than anything. It almost seemed offensive to his entire agenda. 

“Here I was, thinking you’re a man of jokes, not a man of riddles.” Ivy humoured back as a grin spread across her face while his smile faltered. 

“You want a joke? I’ll give you one…” He paused for a brief moment and then looked her straight in the eyes, “Harley loves you…” 

For a moment, Ivy wasn’t sure what to think. But her thoughts, or rather the lack of them, were interrupted by a laughing Joker, who clutched his stomach and doubled over to emphasise just how entertained he was in that moment. 

He wiped a fake tear from his eye, “Isn’t that one funny, Red? Harley loves you! I’ll show you how much she loves you, and it’ll be the funniest joke you’ll ever witness first hand.” 

Eventually, his laughter died down, and Ivy couldn’t be more thankful. Despite her tough exterior, she was lost in deep thought as her mind circulated around a few of his words, especially ‘love’. She had never said it like _that_ to Harley, but she surely felt it. 

It was one of the reasons why Ivy was always present at the locations of various messes that Harley made. The said messes were usually tied to The Joker, and Ivy had always helped her clean them up. Not only because she thought Harley deserved better than him, but because she thought _she_ was that aspect of better. 

Ivy wanted to be. 

She craved it. 

But Harley? Ivy wasn’t so sure. The blonde was so blinded by The Joker that every time she attempted an escape from that man, he trapped her all the much harder, making it almost impossible to leave. It was a vicious cycle Ivy was eager to get her out of. And she had. At least she was sure she had. 

“She’s free of you, don’t you understand that? Harley is doing better, especially with my company. Clayface, King Shark, hell, even that misogynist.” 

Joker rolled his eyes, “Oh, well it’s not for us to decide that, Ivy. We’ll let Harley pick that one, okay?” 

Ivy lifted a confused brow, “What on earth are you talking about?” She really had no idea, and something deep inside her gut told her she didn’t want to know. 

Before she could be the one asking questions, The Joker continued, “To make it fair, I’ll make the conditions-what’s that word you scientists like to use? Ah! I’ll make the conditions _standardised_ .”He finished. 

“You are wasting precious time. Now, it’s not like I have anything to do, but my plants back home do need to be watered.” Ivy explained. She began to tug at the ropes again but they didn’t budge, not even a single inch. Whoever was responsible for the knot really did a good job, Ivy had to give them that. 

“Blah, blah, blah! You can water them as soon as this is done, but I’m sure it’ll be your last priority after we’re all finished.” 

His tone seemed unsettling. Ivy could almost say it caused her discomfort, but she wasn’t going to let it show. It was rare for the redhead to feel distress as most times, calmness was the only thing she felt, alongside some rage and frustration of course. But never distress. 

Ivy was never really worried about herself as she was very well aware of her own capabilities. Worrying for Harley though, was not something she was unfamiliar with. The Joker mentioned her mere moments ago, and it made her stomach drop. 

One of his goons entered the room just as the Joker made himself comfortable on the chair beside her. 

“Make it nice and tight, I don’t want to be called a cheater!” He laughed as the other man began to wrap a few ropes around the pale wrists. He turned back to Ivy, “How is it that you were at Arkham and Harley wasn’t?” 

Out of pure spite, Ivy was going to remain quiet, but she supposed that she couldn’t stop an inevitable conversation from forming anyway, “I appreciate your concern. You see, when stealing something for my plants, I happened to trip an alarm.” 

The Joker nodded in response, “And Harley wasn’t there to help?” He asked, seeming genuinely curious before it faded, “You see I was making dinner plans with her that night. And we made a plan to meet today. Poor girl seemed excited to meet me. I think she’ll be even more joyful knowing we’re both here, don’t you think?” 

_Oh, Harley._

Ivy no longer felt disappointment. Instead, she was filled with sadness. 

The redhead had been fairly certain that right before she landed back at Arkham, she made Harley forget about the Joker mostly. They spent every day together. Whether it was pulling off mass robberies or simply committing petty crimes didn’t matter. What was of importance as the fact that they spent every day side by side, with Harley barely mentioning her ‘Puddin’, or not recalling his name at all. 

Ivy thought they had made progress. 

She was convinced she’d made Harley forget him and realise that she was better than that. Ivy was sure that she had proven to the girl that every day didn’t need to be filled with petty beatings or lack of acknowledgement for her hard work. The redhead had praised her after every heist, took her out to favourite restaurants to get dessert. 

Harley had told her she loved her. 

Ivy was positive she didn’t mean it like _that_ , but it was still an ‘I love you’. And the blonde had used three very different words towards the Joker. 

She said she hated him. 

It sounded so true. The way Harley had gritted her teeth and clenched her jaw was surreal. It was then that Ivy was sure they had gotten rid of him. 

And much to her dismay, they didn’t. 

Because while she was out pulling off dangerous stunts to help her plants, Harley had been communicating with the green haired fuck behind her back. 

The goon stepped back from the Joker, who moved his hands to test the ropes. Nodding with satisfaction, he relaxed into the seat, “Leave the gun on the floor and leave. Welcome her in and you know the rest.” 

So far The Joker seemed very willing to answer any questions she had, so Ivy thought it didn’t hurt to ask some more, “What exactly is the plan at hand?” 

He closed his eyes and hummed a little tune, “I think you and I were competing for the bitch. You more than me, that’s for sure. I just think I need to prove to you that you have to stop trying.” He explained, and something about his words seemed very unusual. It wasn’t like the joker to sound poetic or sincere, and yet he was somehow doing both, “You love your plants, and they love you back. Put that care of yours into them, the things that actually adore you. Harley is a loose canon, she keeps coming back to me and she won’t stop no matter how hard you try.” 

The last part of his ‘speech’ was finished with a chuckle, and for the first time, it made Ivy’s skin crawl. 

The goon placed a gun onto the ground and left. It didn’t take long for Ivy to put two and two together: he was going to make Harley choose.

“Puddin’?” Harley’s soft voice came from behind the door. Ivy glanced at the goon, who rushed forward and greeted the girl. 

Ivy could only hear her. But soon enough, the blonde stepped into the room. Only then did the harsh sound of the door slamming shut hit her eardrums. 

“Mistah J? What’s going on? A-and Ivy?” Harley seemed stiff, looking back and forth between the two faces as if unsure who to be excited for more. She smiled when her gaze landed on the redhead, “Ivy! I was just coming to get you out Arkham! Selina and I had this awesome plan to-” 

“Enough!” The Joker barked, causing Harley’s attention to shift to him. 

Ivy’s chest ached because Harley’s smile almost doubled in size. 

She accepted the inevitable then. 

It was a sore reminder as to why Ivy wanted to remain more plant than human. 

Plants weren’t built to feel. At least not like that.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another chapter coming at u! Let me know what you think :) Again, apologies for any mistakes or weak characterisations, I'm new to DC

“Puddin’!” Harley chirped, evidently joyful and it was too much for Ivy to watch. She forced her eyes shut and sighed. Saying that she was torn in two would be an understatement. Whatever decision, Ivy was sure that she couldn’t win. Not exactly. 

She had attempted her best to pry the blonde away from that monster, and her efforts were still not enough. Maybe Joker was right when he said that Harley would keep coming back no matter what. 

He was like a drug, because without him, Harley Quinn was sick. Dying. 

“Harley, girl! You made it.” He smiled at her. Ivy never wanted to punch someone more. Not only because he was enticing Harley, but because he found entertainment in this entire ordeal. Something about making the blonde pick between two important people was funny to him. 

Truth be told, Ivy felt less and less important every second. 

Harley didn’t even look at her, and they hadn’t seen each other for _days._

She didn’t even come for Ivy to get her out of Arkham…because she was messaging The Joker for days without end. 

If it was the other way around, Ivy would’ve dropped everything at hand to free the blonde. Hell, she wouldn’t have even allowed for Harley to be sent there in the first place. She would have done everything in her power to prevent it. 

Ivy didn’t ask herself why because she already knew. One strong word and emotion. So powerful that it could change everything. 

Suddenly, it was not ropes that were binding her wrists. Metal cuffs clipped around her skin after they popped out from the chair. Another fancy gadget used solely for Jokers amusement. So he laughed. Ivy turned to see that his chair had done the same. He really had indeed taken this ‘standardised’ procedure seriously. 

“Of course I made it, Puddin’! Anything for you.” Harley grinned only to pout at the sight, “What are the cuffs for?” She motioned at the chairs, briefly glancing over at Ivy in wonder.

“It’s a game. A fun little game, and you have to follow the rules.” He encouraged. 

Harley nodded way too eagerly for Ivy’s liking, “ ‘Kay! I like games!” 

The redhead groaned, her limp fingers formed into fists, “Harls, you can’t be serious!” 

It was only then that Harley stared at Ivy for longer than two seconds. It was a look of confusion, her pale face twisted into a questioning frown, “What-why? What did I do?” 

Ivy had to hold herself back from letting a bunch of profanities escape her sealed lips because she still felt like Harley didn’t deserve them. The girl was sick…and victim blaming wasn’t something Poison Ivy was fond of. Nobody blames an ill person for getting a disease, the same way she wasn’t going to blame the blonde for this.   
But she had to try and open her eyes again. At least for the final time. It was the last thing Ivy could do, considering she was bound to a chair with no plants in sight to aid her. 

“He’s manipulating you! He does it over and over again. You go back to him, you get beat and ignored, betrayed and used. And you come back to me. You always come back to me.” 

“The same way she comes back to me, isn’t that right, Harley?” The Joker snarled, his eyes glowing with something dangerous. They were non-threatening, which was a worrying sign. Ivy shuddered, feeling like she could compare his words to a situation where an owner would talk to his dog, spitting commands at it before showering the dog in affection. Affection, in Joker’s case, wasn’t an I love you or anything of that sorts. It was mere acknowledgement, but it made Harley feel like she was on top of the world. 

Harley nodded eagerly, “Course! I always come back to you. I was a bit hesitant, Mistah J. But then you said you were sincerely sorry and I know you meant it.” 

_I am going to throw up._

Ivy shifted in the seat, pretty certain that if she was to roll her eyes again, they’d remain stuck at the back of her head. 

“Harls, listen to me! He told you he was sorry before and where did that get you? It got you hurt!” She reminded and in no way was it pleasant. 

Harley stiffened for a moment, but shook her head just seconds later much to The Joker’s relief, “Yeah, I know. But this time it’s different. He told me so, didn’t you Puddin’?” The blonde sounded hopeful, it pained Ivy physically to hear her like this. 

Harley’s hope was always abused. Never by the redhead, and always by the man in purple. 

“Yes, it’s exactly what I told you. We can go pull of a heist with you being in charge after we play this game.” 

Harley’s eyes lit up in eagerness, it wasn’t often that The Joker let her take charge, especially when it came to big crimes, “Okay. Just, explain the rules maybe.” 

Ivy seemed to fade into the background, Harley’s focal point being that sadistic excuse of a man. She had so much to say, but none of it would come out. It was as if though her lips were sealed shut by an invisible force, not letting her utter a single word no matter how small. 

The Joker beamed, yellow teeth scraping against his lips, “See that gun on the floor. Pick that up.” Harley did as she was told, and Ivy wasn’t surprised to find no hints of hesitancy. It was always the same…whatever The Joker said went, “There’s a single bullet in there, Harley girl. Just one. Now this is where it gets fun, but not difficult. The door behind you will only open when you shoot that bullet. Either into my head, or hers.” He swiftly motioned to Ivy, who sat there with a slack jaw. 

“Make it accurate. Whoever lives walks out with you and stays by your side forever. Your choice.” 

The Joker handed his charge over to Harley for the very first time. 

Harley Quinn literally had it all in her hands. 

Ivy’s mind had wandered off into the unknown, but her body stayed, her hands tugging at the restrains desperately. 

It seemed to get Harley’s attention for a split second, yet it didn’t last long as she turned to her _antidote_ again, “Puddin’…I-I can’t. You’re my partner in crime, and Red’s my best friend. You know I’d never say this but you’re askin’ for too much.” 

The Joker’s lips fell into a flat line, “Nobody leaves until you shoot one of us in the head. The door won’t unlock until you do” 

Harley’s fingers shook. She blinked rapidly, and Ivy wasn’t sure if she was whisking away tears or if it was just a nervous habit. 

“Harley…look at me.” Poison Ivy pleaded. 

After a moment’s of silence, the gun slipped to the floor with a loud clatter, “No! You’re stressin’ me out! This-this stuff is making me panic. I’m not lookin’ at either of you!” She turned around on her heel with crossed arms, keeping to her word by avoiding both of their eyes. 

Ivy could see the blonde shaking, her arms crossed tightly against her chest as if though she was trying her best to keep her hands away from doing anything reckless. But Harley was the definition of reckless. The blonde’s stance wouldn’t last for long, Pam was very much certain. 

“Come on Harley, we don’t want to sit here the whole day, do we?” The Joker encouraged and Ivy clenched her jaw in return. 

She was being ripped apart mentally. No matter how much she wanted to, Ivy couldn’t manipulate Harley into shooting that monster’s head instead. It would hurt the blonde woman, and then she’d break way beyond repair. Ivy wouldn’t be able to fix her. 

Pam was used to repairing many things, but not people. Humans were extraordinarily complex, way beyond her academic reach. She wasn’t a psychologist. She wasn’t even human, not fully at least. 

By the time she focused on Harley again, the girl had picked up the gun, but thankfully she was pointing it down. 

“Come on, Puddin’…I can’t.” She stated in a pleading voice, but all the Joker did was shake his head. 

“Can’t or won’t?” He grinned and Pam chose silence over anything else. 

This was Harley’s decision, not hers. All Pam could do was give it to her without an influence from her part. She didn’t want to make it more difficult for the blonde, but deep inside she hoped that the few days they had spent together, side by side, meant something. They had to mean something, because for a while, Ivy had caught Harley looking at her more intensively than ever before. 

Pam saved her from him. Surely, Harley would be willing to return the favour? Ivy never lay a hand on her, while The Joker lay one too many. She _saw_ Harley in everything she did, while he never batted an eye. It appeared as if though he was blind whenever the blonde entered his vision. 

Ivy wasn’t a forgiving creature. Rage consumed her often, but so did calmness. They were two opposing forces, but Harley was the anchor to keep her grounded. It was Harley who taught her to forgive, maybe even too often than Ivy had wanted to. 

_Realise it, Harley. He’s not good to you. He’s going to hurt you again and again, until you end up dead. I’d never hurt you. This is why I’m keeping silent._

Silence soon became Ivy’s favourite sound, because when Harley lifted the gun, a gut-wrenching scream escaped the blonde’s throat. 

Her Puddin’ beamed. He wasn’t the one facing the barrel of the gun. 

“I’m so sorry!” Harley cried as her fingers wrapped around the trigger. 

Ivy felt all life leave her, whether it was the human part of her or the plant didn’t matter. Anything that lived within her withered away. 

Harley pulled the trigger with blurred vision, awaiting the loud bang that would scar her friend’s green skin.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again coming at you all to let you know that I'm new to DC so apologies if anything is off! Thank you for all the positive comments, I honestly wasn't expecting them but it warms me knowing you guys are enjoying this :)

The harsh sound never came. There was no ringing, only silence. Ivy never bothered to close her emerald eyes, instead, her gaze remained glued to blue orbs until the very moment that Harley pulled the trigger. 

With a loud clatter, the gun dropped to the floor and the silence was broken by The Joker’s sadistic laugh. 

Ivy’s wrists were soon free, the metal cuffs opening up with a quiet click. It was a common concept that death was the only time one’s mind stopped working. Pam felt hers shut down despite being alive. 

If the gun had been loaded, she would have withered away. By Harley’s choice. Ivy didn’t look at her, she could hear Harley sniffling and muttering apologies, but her heart wouldn’t allow their eyes to meet. 

The Joker stepped in front of her, “Go home, Isley,” He chuckled, “Remember what I told you during our little heart to heart conversation. Cherish your plants, not a lose canon.” 

Ivy wasn’t sure when the pair left. 

She was physically free now, but why did it feel like she was more trapped than ever? She couldn’t stand, not when her mind held such heavy weight…

//

As soon as she got home, her hands immediately found the watering can. Ivy stroked her plants softly, the pads of her fingers brushing against the green leaf. Her movements seemed slow, but she couldn’t shake her thoughts away. Her mind was racing faster than ever now that she had the knowledge that Harley would end her life to keep Joker around. 

If that gun had been loaded, Ivy wouldn’t be here to take care of the little plants. If Joker was to take pleasure in seeing her die, she wouldn’t be standing. But his intentions were clear and crude. He didn’t want Ivy dead. His only wish was to hurt her, for her to know that Harley was his, and he owned her. 

Ivy had spent these last few weeks doing everything she could to get Harley to forget about him. The blonde had shown up at her doorstep battered and bruised, and Pam didn’t hesitate to let her in. She had sighed, of course, because hiding her disappointment was damn near impossible. Ivy had warned her this would happen, and it surely did. 

During those few weeks they had spent together, cutlery wasn’t the only thing they shared. They shared the same bed, and every few nights Harley had asked for Ivy to hold her, and she always did, gently so. Not like he would. With Ivy around, the blonde always fell asleep so easily, her face was clear of any worries, and if that wasn’t an indicator of what was good for her, then Ivy didn’t know what else to do. 

One day, Harley had looked her at. Stared. Blue eyes met green, and not in a way of ordinary eye contact. It was more than that, Ivy felt it deep in her chest, and with the way Harley had suddenly shifted, she was certain the blonde felt it too. 

Poison Ivy shook her head in desperate attempts to get rid of the look that seemed to be ingrained at the back of her eyelids. With every blink, all she could feel was the presence of blue eyes digging into her own. 

But she was done. 

Harley had killed her. She made that choice. 

She let the woman in green die, and the man in purple survive. 

Poison Ivy was done. Fuck Harley Quinn. 

She was no longer Pamela Isley. She wasn’t supposed to feel anymore…not like that, not like humans did. 

She was nature’s saviour, and that required everything she knew. 

With a final stroke to a red petal, Ivy backed away and planted a soft kiss to its leaf, uttering a soft and pleasant goodbye. 

//

Ivy hadn’t thought about Harley for weeks-not consciously anyway. She had been quick in turning down the radio at the mere mention of The Joker and his partner, not wanting to hear any of that mess. 

She didn’t have to, it did her no good knowing what they were up to or what banks they had decided to torment. 

Harley wasn’t her responsibility anymore, not after the blonde had pulled a trigger of an empty gun that she’d pointed at Ivy. 

Despite everything, Poison Ivy was growing accustom to sleeping peacefully at night. Her thoughts eventually became void of blonde hair and blue eyes, red suits and reckless antics. She thought Harley was truly gone, and Ivy hadn’t heard that name in three months. Up until the moment a violent knock startled her from her sleep. 

Ivy gracefully pushed herself up from the bed with a yawn and looked over at the clock. 

3am. 

“What on mother earth?” She murmured sleepily and made her way down the stairs. By the time she reached the front door, the knocks were increasing in frequency, getting more desperate one after the next. Unnecessary noise wasn’t something Ivy was fond of, especially not at night, so she pulled the door open harshly, ready to scold whatever neighbour was at her doorstep now for being so inconsiderate- 

“What could you possibly want at this hour-” Ivy’s words got lodged in her throat as soon as the figure standing there came into view. 

It wasn’t her old neighbour with greying hair, or the other one who had none at all.  
Harley Quinn smiled at her, her lips curling upwards wider as she blinked at Ivy. It clearly hurt to grin because she whimpered right after and pushed herself up to stand a little taller despite taking comfort in a hunched position, “Hey, Red. Long time no see!” She began to cough before an explanation could move past her lips. 

Ivy’s face was not as expressionless as she wanted it to be. Her brows furrowed, lips turning into a completely opposing image that Harley presented as she began to frown. There was no way. The audacity and selfishness of this woman-Ivy wanted to drag her right back to where she came from, but doing that was throwing the blonde right into the wolf’s den she had clearly just escaped from as indicated by the various bruises and cuts. 

Poison Ivy wanted to be selfish, but Pamela let Harley in. 

The blonde scurried towards the couch and sat down, before releasing an audible sight, “Ya know, for a moment there I thought you wasn’t gonna open up!” 

_Yeah, I shouldn’t have._

Ivy thought while the words sat at the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed them down, “What are you doing here?” She settled on a question instead, though she wasn’t particularly excited for Harley’s obscene answer that was surely to come. 

The blonde seemed to ponder for a moment. She didn’t say anything, before furrowing her brows and taking the question quite literally, “Gettin’ help. You said I’m always welcome here.” 

Ivy scoffed, loud and clear, before pushing herself from the doorway and marching over to the woman harshly. She had imagined herself to look threatening because Harley sat upright, watching the redhead with wide eyes full of question…and maybe even fear. 

Poison Ivy wasn’t surprised. She was nature’s biggest force; a catastrophe when she wanted to be, and a wonder too. 

“You _were_ welcome. Past tense.” Ivy clarified in a desperate need to correct her, “You were welcome here before you decided to shoot me right between my eyes.” 

Harley no longer seemed frightened, instead, she appeared concerned as if though Ivy was speaking delusional nonsense, “I never shot you! The gun didn’t go off, it was unloaded. You’re alive, ain’t ya? I don’t get why yer mad.” 

“Oh for f-” Ivy grabbed her red locks now, wanting to so badly pull. She wasn’t quite sure if Harley was pretending to be stupid in attempts to not acknowledge the situation, or if she actually was slow when it came to it, “The Joker used a metaphor to explain you, with correlations to a real life scenario. Now, I’m not going to spell it out for you, Harls. But you shot me, and I’m dead. If that gun was loaded, it’s clear to see who you’d rather have by your side.” 

Harley frowned, “I didn’t shoot ya.” She said, seeming to completely disregard what Ivy had just said. 

Pam forced her eyes shut, wanting to tear herself in two for the first time in forever. Into Pamela and Posion Ivy. 

Pamela could help Harley, fix her up and tell her that everything would be okay. 

Poison Ivy wouldn’t care, she’d be doing her own thing, taking care of plants and assessing the damages done to the environment by the biggest corporations so she could pinpoint her next target. 

But _she_ wanted to do both. 

At the same time, _she_ couldn’t. 

Harley had hurt her. She had chosen The Joker and technically left her to die. 

Ivy owed her nothing apart from a ‘fuck you’ and a few other profanities. Yet none of them ever left her sealed lips. 

Instead, Pam got up in silence and made her way into the kitchen, where she picked up a damp towel and a few other necessities. Once back at Harley’s side, she began to wipe at the cuts, erasing any sign of blood and violence from the pale skin. 

It had been around twenty minutes of total silence, not a word uttered between them apart from Harley releasing a hiss here and there, causing Pam to slow down in her work. But once she was clean of any blood, Harley pulled her shirt down and turned to the redhead humorously, “Thank you doctor Isley.” 

Ivy shook her head, “I’m not that kind of doctor. Now please, get the hell out of my house.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another chapter, sorry for the wait, stuff is just really rough rn but i'm trying my best here!

Ivy’s voice was harsh, but very clear. It cut through Harley’s humorous tone like the sharpest tool on Earth, and it made her want to cower into herself. 

She guessed she deserved it. 

Harley wasn’t totally stupid-she wasn’t stupid at all, but her approach had been. She adored pretending like some of her problems were never there, because if they were ignored long enough, eventually they’d disappear and evaporate into the air. 

This one, however, hadn’t done that. 

Not at all. 

It had arisen further, escalating to the point of not stopping. 

Harley began to regret her approach as soon as Ivy uttered those words. She shouldn’t have ignored this, she should have been spewing apologies at the redhead like she first did when Mistah J made her pick. 

_Uh oh, what did I do?_

“Do I need to repeat myself?” Ivy tapped her foot on the carpet impatiently.

Harley knew she couldn’t stay silent for long, because the look in those green eyes told her the woman beside her wasn’t going to hesitate in personally escorting her outside, “Red, please…I’m _sorry_ .”

Ivy rolled her eyes, and the situation could only reflect a hot pot spitting water out because it was so overfilled, “You’re sorry? You know what, I’m sorry too.” 

“What?” Harley asked, genuinely curious as she couldn’t remember Ivy doing anything wrong. 

“I’m sorry that you’re so sick, Harley. So obsessed with a prick who treats you like absolute garbage-like a pollutant when you’re not.” The redhead explained through clenched teeth, “And I’m sorry that you’re not getting better despite me trying my best. What I’m not sorry for is that I’ve finally stropped trying. I’m done with this. This was my last helping hand, which you didn’t deserve by the way. Please leave my house now.” 

Harley wasn’t sure which emotion to allow herself to feel first. Her mind had warped around Ivy’s words, while her heart stared straight past everything, wanting the redhead’s company more than ever right now. Harley had to have her, she couldn’t leave. She had nowhere else to go. Mistah J kicked her out, told her she was useless, and the blonde accepted most of his words as true. He wouldn’t lie to her, would he? 

“Pam, please-” 

“ _Ivy!_ ” The redhead corrected sternly, venom seeping through her tone. 

It felt like a sharp slap to Harley’s face, because _Pam_ wasn’t willing to listen. Harley ached to explain herself, and most importantly to apologise, for good this time. It no longer felt right to ignore this problem, because it was not going to vanish. 

Ivy was complex.

Harley simply wished she had acknowledged it earlier instead of now. 

A minute passed. Then two. 

Finding the right words was hard, Harley didn’t want to make this any worse than it was, and she certainly had a tendency to. Sometimes, she felt like a magnet to all bad things. This was a bad thing, but the blonde was eager to make it good. She needed it to be. Letting Pam go would mean she would have nobody else to confide in apart from Mistah J. 

But the clown kicked her to the curb far more frequently than she liked, and truth be told, Harley wasn’t good at being alone. She despised the idea. Loneliness was frightening and silent. 

And silence could be really loud. 

Deafening. 

“Red, this won’t happen again. I’m sorry I shot you.” _Well, I didn’t actually shoot you considering the fact that you’re still here_. 

“A sorry doesn’t fix this. Just go.” Ivy ordered sternly, “I cleaned up your injuries so you can manage everything on your own.”

It was getting evident that the red haired beauty wasn’t going to take sorry for an answer. Though it had worked before, Harley always apologised after leaving, and Pam took her back in every damn time. 

So why wasn’t it working now? 

It made Harley beyond frustrated. She didn’t like not having answers. What she hated more was that the person who was always there for her was now turning her away like she was nothing. 

Harley’s heart dropped down all the way to her gut with a painful clench, her eyes began to sting as the threat of tears hit her, “Do you…not care about me anymore?” She dared to ask, but the idea of receiving an answer was terribly frightening. 

For a second, she could swear she saw Ivy’s eyes widen in shock, as if though she had said the most ridiculous thing. But the emerald orbs darkened not long after, hiding away any sign of sorrow or distress. Instead, they held anger and frustration-Harley hated seeing those emotions reflect the redhead. 

She was aware that mother nature could get very angry, but most times she was a beautiful force. 

_Let her be calm, let her be calm._

The blonde repeated in her head, before Ivy’s voice ripped the thoughts in half. 

“I wish I didn’t.” The redhead responded plainly and turned around on her heel, “I said go, before I share a side of myself you wish you wouldn’t have to see.” 

Harley hesitated while collecting the words in her head. She needed a sentence that was to sound right, she ached to be sincere right now because the risk of losing her best friend was growing increasingly higher. 

Deep within her, Harley knew that those words Ivy uttered was a simple lie to push her away. She’d never put the blonde in harms way, Ivy had demonstrated that numerous times. 

“Ya won’t ever share that side. Ya won’t hurt me.” The shorter woman spoke so confidently that she had to knock her voice down a few octanes to not make it seem overly arrogant. But Harley’s statement was true, Ivy always proved it, and she was going to stand by that. 

Just as her gaze fell on Ivy’s back, she saw a slight drop of her pale shoulders. Even if Harley didn’t dive deep into the psychological world, Ivy’s body language alone was enough to say how she felt. 

Ivy was called out on her lie. 

And of course, she didn’t like it. 

The redhead turned around, eyes blaring with something venomous, “I said go!” 

“Or what?” Harley was truly pushing her then, that much was obvious. 

Despite the green tint of Ivy’s cheeks, the red blush of anger was still very much evident, “Or I will escort you out myself, Quinn.” She finished calmly.

Harley watched as the woman’s eyes fell shut, as if though she was attempting to keep everything in. Maybe that was for the best. Harley didn’t feel like pushing her too much today, she knew she was at risk considering what happened weeks ago. Not at risk of getting hurt, of course, but at risk of losing a great friend. 

While Harley remained silent, Ivy was losing her patience, “What do I have to do for you to go?” 

Harley blinked in surprise, taken aback by the fact that Ivy was now trying to negotiate when she had every right to kick the blonde out of her home. 

_She still has a soft spot._

“Hear me out. Hear me out and I will be out yer hair!” It was her time to plead again, and that she did. Harley had even considered to go down on her knees, but there was already enough dramatics around the two women. 

Ivy hesitated, her face was as still as the air that surrounded them, and she remained unmoving for a few moments. Not a word was shared between them, but eventually, she nodded, giving Harley all the confirmation she needed to begin speaking. 

Harley decided to let her words slip without any internal rehearsal, deciding that it was best for them to come from the heart, and not the depths of her mind. 

“Red, I am so sorry, okay? Don’t say anything right now, please!” She held her hands in front of Ivy’s face just before the woman could open her mouth, “I am sorry that I left you in Arkham. I was with Puddin’, there that’s the truth. I don’t wanna to lie to you right now, so please bear with me.” 

Harley inhaled sharply, again refusing to let her monologue slip past her mind first, so she continued, “I did think about you, for a long while. And I was comin’ to get ya, but then Mistah J messaged me and told me he was sorry for all the things he did before. I hesitated, Red, okay? I really did, and I was going to ignore him but a part of me believed he really meant it that time. Ya know me, ya said it yourself, I’m weak. So I replied, and he was being so nice, genuine and whatever else you wanna call it. I believed it all. And listen, I don’t think it was because I really truly thought he meant those things, it’s because I wanted it to be the truth. I wanted it to be the truth, but it wasn’t and I refused to acknowledge it.” 

Harley then sighed upon catching a glimpse of Ivy’s emotionless expression. It almost seemed like the redhead wasn’t even listening, and Harley wasn’t going to blame her for it. She had told this story numerous times before, but each time with altered wording so it wouldn’t sound extremely repetitive. 

“So when he asked me to meet, I wasn’t expecting to find ya and Mistah J in the same room, both bound to some chairs with no escape. Now, when I saw him then, I sorta felt like I was seeing him for the very first time again. I mean, that was the last time he sounded so sincere, and I wanted to relive that again. I wanted him to want me, to treasure me, because it’s what he promised to do. So, in that moment, he was all I saw. I didn’t see you, and for that I’m sorry.”

By the time Harley was done, Ivy was leaning against the wall near the doorway. Her brows were furrowed, but eyes intense and wide open. She did listen, that much Harley could tell. 

“I appreciate you being honest,” Ivy admitted with a firm nod that almost seemed robotic, “and if it makes it easier for you, pretend you heard me say I accept the apology. Now, with that off your chest, go Harley, go.” 

There were no more options to weigh out. Ivy wasn’t as forgiving as she had always been, and Harley had nothing more to say. 

She had taken Ivy’s presence and kindness for granted, and Harley hated herself for only realising that now. The redhead was always gentle, at least with her, and rarely angry. Mistah J was the opposite, and yet, Harley always found herself back by his side, seeking for approval like he was the sole reason for her entire existence. 

_go, Harley, go_. 

Harley paused by the door, “Thanks for um…treating the injuries.”  
With those words uttered, she pushed the door open and disappeared into the darkness of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, lemme know what you think!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi yall, here's another chapter! Again, thank you sm for the positive comments on the last chapter, it means so much to me and I'm forever grateful for everyone who reads :)

Ivy didn’t go to bed right after Harley shut the door upon leaving. No, the redhead spent hours pacing around the dark kitchen, wandering back and forth between the tiled floor while all her mind could do was spin. She spent so much time thinking that eventually, the images in her mind had slurred into nothingness. It was like her mind had shut off due to overheating. There was simply too many processes involved for it to keep up. 

Somehow, despite the ache in her chest, Pam lowered herself into bed and under the fresh sheets. She had half a mind to go look for the blonde, but she was very aware that such act would have dire consequences. 

Pam needed to let Harley go. 

Harley demonstrated multiple times that Ivy would always remain her second choice. 

But did the redhead need to show the same? She never did, Ivy always put her first no matter what happened, apart from tonight of course. 

It was times like these that Ivy wished she was deprived of all humanity within her. Plants were made to save and protect the world. Humans, on the other hand destroyed it, and they also felt too much.

Ivy didn’t want any of it, whether it was feeling or acting upon destruction of the planet. 

She decided to conclude that humans were pretty much useless and cruel. 

_Was Harley useless then?_

Her mind dared to ask, and Pam shook her head, “No, Harley was cruel.” 

Very cruel indeed.

Poison Ivy did have a heart, it was resistant to many poisons and toxins, but it could never fight off other cruel infections that came in forms of feeling. Human feeling. 

Feelings were a poison that could destroy her entirely, though Ivy would never admit to it. 

With a deep sigh, she forced her eyes shut for about the hundredth time that night, hoping that this time, they’d fail to open and awaken her again. 

The morning came, and it was the strands of sunlight resting on her skin that set her up. Ivy yawned upon leaving the bed and stretched her sore muscles. The pain wasn’t from the poor sleeping position, but rather the mental exhaustion she felt. Her dreams were haunted by a pair of blue ocean eyes and light hair that could only reflect the gracefulness of the sun. 

Water and light; both things Ivy needed to survive, and they were also the very same things mirrored in Harley’s appearance. 

Ivy shook her head with a groan, deciding she was to ignore this all for now and instead focus on other matters. 

After slipping into a comfortable pair of leggings and a loose shirt, her green skin turned pale as she watched herself in the mirror. This neighbourhood Ivy decided to settle in radiated peacefulness, and she had never witnessed her plants grow so well. Changing her appearance was a necessity to fit in since Ivy knew her neighbours often had prying eyes. One of the older women, who lived right across the street, was a frequent visitor. Pam had developed a liking for her after the lady told her about her own garden. She had asked Ivy to help her with it numerous times, and the redhead was more than happy to comply in order to nourish those plants back to a perfect state. It was clear the old woman loved her roses, and it triggered something very human within Ivy a couple of times. 

With those thoughts soon scattered, Ivy walked towards the greenhouse in her backyard. She inhaled the fresh air, and soon, the thoughts of Harley had almost vanished from her mind. 

But upon stepping a single foot inside the greenhouse, it was difficult for Ivy to miss a small figure laying near the plants. 

Blonde hair was scattered everywhere despite being held by two ponytails, and the pale hands had rested against one of Pam’s flowers ever so gently. 

Ivy watched in silence, unable to articulate a single word to announce her presence. Harley looked peaceful despite the events that shattered both of their nights yesterday, and Ivy wasn’t sure if she should be ecstatic or aggravated.

A part of Ivy didn’t want to wake the sleeping woman, but the other half of her needed to water her plants. She wasn’t going to deprive them of their necessities simply because Harley had refused to completely leave her property. 

“Harleen, I need you to leave.” She stepped closer towards her, but it appeared like Harley didn’t even hear her because there were no signs of movement. 

But before Ivy could utter another word, Harley jolted awake with wide eyes. Her shoulders slouched in ease as she noticed Ivy in front of her, “Sorry, I think yer plants are thirsty or whatever. I spent the entire night talkin’ to them.” She admitted with a low shrug and looked down at one of the daffodils. 

Ivy’s only response was raising a brow, and Harley took the woman’s silence as an unspoken sign to continue, “I mean they didn’t answer back like they do to you, but ‘twas worth a try. I had to tell them that I was sorry, because maybe they’d convince you that I really am since I was unable to.” 

Pam looked down at the plants Harley’s fingers were still subconsciously touching, and it was then that she knew, the apology Harley delivered yesterday was the most genuine one of them all. 

She really was sorry. 

But for how long? Until The Joker would decide to get in touch with her again? Until he’d say he was sorry and then repeat the same thing again? Until Harley was aching for his rough touch so much that she’d be willing to put her safety at risk just to be by his side? 

Ivy was utterly lost. 

But when she decided it was safe enough to look up at Harley again, the blonde wore the same look she had a couple of months ago. 

The blue eyes glittered with something so intense that even Ivy was afraid to gaze at them for too long. 

“Okay,” Pam nodded in obvious defeat, “Go inside, I’ll make you some breakfast soon, just take a shower beforehand.” 

Harley beamed and jumped up to her feet, ignoring any pain that her injuries caused her. She wrapped her arms around Ivy’s stern frame tightly and squeezed, refusing to let go. 

“Okay, Red! See ya inside!” She uttered after having let go and skipped away, her smile never wavering. 

Ivy picked up the watering can, and while she was meant to focus on her plants, doing that was seemingly impossible. All her mind could center around was those big blue eyes, staring at her like she was the entire damn world. 

As the birds began to chirp, Ivy finished off her duties in the greenhouse and wandered back inside. The sound of the water running was a good sign. It meant that Harley hadn’t taken off yet. At this stage, Ivy wouldn’t be surprised if she had, but that would’ve truly been the last straw. 

With some eggs and bacon in the pan, Ivy hummed as she bounced the contents within the pan up, making sure they didn’t burn. 

“Smells super!” Harley’s voice broke the calm silence Pam was surrounded in. The blonde had a towel wrapped around her wet hair, and she clearly didn’t hesitate in slipping into Pam’s robe. From the content look Harley was wearing, it was crystal clear the blonde hadn’t felt this good in a while. 

And Pam was the provider of that…

“Mistah J never makes me breakfast.” Harley pouted as she sat down onto one of the chairs. 

Those words alone were enough to shatter Ivy’s neutral stance. Her lips fell to a flat line and she simply nodded in response, deciding not to say anything. Maybe Harley would take the hint and stop talking about the clown man. 

But as always, that was a hope far too stretched. 

“I wonder how he is…” Harley’s eyes were practically glued to the pan, “Do you think he’s worried about me?” 

Ivy slammed her palm down against the counter, which almost sent Harley off the stool, “He was the reason behind all those injuries on you, and yet all you can think about is him? Get a grip and think with your head instead of your heart for once.” 

As those words slipped past her lips, Ivy realized just how much of a hypocrite she was being. Pam was always a logical thinker, it was what her academics required of her at all times. It was a rare occurrence for the woman to use her heart. There was merely no space for that in this world. That’s what Ivy had convinced herself for a long time, until Harley Quinn tore that belief system down. 

If Ivy stuck to herself and used her head for a change when it came to the blonde, she wouldn’t be sitting in her kitchen talking about a low-tier ‘boyfriend’. Harley would be elsewhere, probably still with the man in purple. And if Ivy used her head, she truly wouldn’t care. It would be none of her concern. 

However, she had failed at the very same thing she taught herself. The beating of her heart made Ivy disregard any sense of logistics when it came to this ordeal. 

The look on Harley’s face could only be described as one of astonishment. Her jaw twitched in a way that appeared like she was about to say something, but she stopped herself before any words could leave her sealed lips. 

Harley wasn’t the sort of woman who ran out of words to say, so Ivy knew the silence wasn’t going to last long. 

Just as suspected, Harley sighed, “But before, you never had a problem with me talkin’ about him. Well, ya did but not like this, Red!” 

Ivy clutched the bridge of her nose and slid the plate of food in front of Harley, “Because before, it didn’t look like you were willing to put a bullet in my head!” Her voice had risen a few octaves, but it wasn’t loud enough to be considered a scream, even though really, Ivy wanted to yell. Maybe then the information would encode in Harley’s thick skull. 

Pam didn’t want to wait for the blonde to say another thing that would send her into mayhem, so she cleared her throat in an attempt to excuse herself, “Eat up, and please don’t disturb me. I have a lot of things to do.” 

“But Red-” Harley wanted to protest, the fork almost dropping from between her fingers. 

“No.” Ivy shook her head, “Listen to me. I didn’t let you into my home because we’re friends now. I let you in because I feel sorry for you. Do not mistake my barely humanly sympathy for something else.” 

She saw the way Harley’s shoulders slouched in obvious defeat, so Ivy turned around and headed back into the garden; the only place that held peace like no other. 

It was where she could truly be alone, without the presence of complex humans like Harley Quinn, who Ivy wanted to ruin and fix.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I HAVE ANOTHER FIC COMING AFTER THIS ONE! If anyone's interest has peaked, it'll be a college AU where they're normal people, but of course with some similarities of who they are in the comics! I have already started writing for it, so I hope to release the first chapter after this fic is all finished :) Anyway, enjoy one of my longer chapters! And thank you all so much for your kindness and insights, it means a whole lot!

Harley poked at the bacon blankly, while also turning around to glance at the back door leading to the gracious garden. She hadn’t meant to make Ivy so upset. The words about her Puddin’ slipped out before her brain could even process what she was yet to say. Without a doubt, her mind was wired to only think of him, and she couldn’t stop it 

He was her essence. 

Mistah J was her infection and the cure. 

Without him, Harley was a dead woman. 

And right now, she still ached to live.

Taking a small bite, Harley swallowed harshly. Most times, downing food was no problem, but when her thoughts were scattered in a way that her mind found it hard to think about anything and everything, she could no longer eat. The bacon and eggs smelled delicious, and Pam was obviously no stranger to making her comfort meals, yet Harley could barely look at the plate. 

It appeared overwhelming, so she pushed it aside and stood up, pacing away from the table. 

She unwrapped the towel from her head and chucked it aside, her hair a wet mess but even that didn’t bother her. 

Harley had the sudden urge to go and find Ivy so she could deliver another apology. But, doing that felt wrong when her mind was plagued by thoughts of green hair, pale skin and lean arms. 

With every blink, his purple suit was closer to the floor, near mixing with the pile of Harley’s own clothes on the floor. She inhaled sharply, in subtle hopes of catching a linger of his unique scent because it always filled her nostrils in the most beautiful way. His smell masked what was wrong with the outside world, and with him, Harley felt…safe. Like nobody could hurt her. 

_But he could. And he does._

Harley’s eyes shot open in search of Ivy, but the woman wasn’t present. Her lonesome gaze met an empty lounge while Ivy’s voice faded from the depths of her mind. 

Suddenly, Harley’s brows furrowed, her limp hands forming fists with tightly clenched knuckles. She bit her lip in attempts to stop herself from screaming at the top of her lungs, wanting for Ivy to leave her mind. 

“She knows nothing!” Harley whispered to herself with a reassuring nod, “She doesn’t see how Mistah J loves me.” 

Closing her eyes again, Harley’s skin intertwined with the Joker’s. His rough palms caressed her skin in such a way, it left her aching for more. She was eager , searching for his eyes with her own, but he didn’t look towards her direction in the slightest. Harley decided that it was okay, her Puddin’ was a busy man who only wanted what was best for them both.   
_He doesn’t see you. Were his eyes resting on you, Harleen? When you were intimate, I mean?_

Harley clutched her blonde locks between her pale fingers and tugged out in frustration. Ivy’s voice was unnecessarily loud, and she was unable to block it out. 

“She knows nothing!” Harley repeated, much clearer this time as if though for Ivy to hear despite the fact that the woman wasn’t near her. With every beat of her heart, the darkness her droopy eyelids created helped produce a slur of more images. 

Her Puddin’s eyes finally landed on her as he rolled away. While she stared at him like he was her everything, he returned a blank look. 

_Do you see it now? He hurts you. He doesn’t love you._

Harley kicked at the carpet of the lounge blindly and screamed.

“How can a woman who has never felt love tell me what love is supposed to be!” Her lungs began to throb right after that, and without another word, a chain of sobs began to rock her body. Harley was guilt-ridden, obsessed, and above all exhausted. Her body and mind were at a mismatch, screaming at one another with need for other things. 

While her mind begged for Mistah J’s presence, her body knew it could no longer take another fist to the rib, or a foot to the stomach. 

Harley’s body pleaded for a recovery, which was usually provided by a pair of green hands that touched her so delicately like no others ever could. 

Though her Puddin’s touch was all she needed, it was never tranquil and as soft as Ivy’s. Harley opened her eyes, forcing herself to think of the woman who patched her up last night. 

Ivy didn’t seem to give up on her completely, and Harley was bound to question the redhead’s decision considering the thoughts that were soaring through her mind right at this moment. 

Harley needed him, but she knew he would always wait for her. He took her back each time, and that was unconditional love. Maybe she could spend another day here? It felt eerily wrong to up and leave, especially after Ivy demonstrated the unusual lack of sympathy. Harley scoffed at the thought and sat down on the couch, deciding that spending a night here wouldn’t hurt. Ivy let her in, though hesitantly so, and Harley did not want to waste that just yet.

But with that in mind, her limbs began to twitch and her orbs darted to the front door. Mistah J was calling her, and Harley could hardly ignore it. 

//

Ivy watered her plants some more but stopped herself as to not over do it. Despite the flowers and bushes being in perfect condition, Ivy was pestering them as a form of distraction which she desperately needed. 

She could feel her plants smiling, while she herself was unable to really mirror that. Her thoughts continued to be clouded by a pair of blue eyes, ones that stared at her intensely at times, and sometimes playfully like a lost child. 

Most considered Harley unpredictable, but lucky for Ivy, she had studied the blonde long enough to know the smallest of irks. Brushing a green leaf aside, Ivy pressed her lips to the plant and stepped back, grinning at its state of undeniable beauty. 

She wanted to admire it some more, but the cold breeze of the afternoon indicated that it was time to head inside. Ivy didn’t do well with the cold, and nor did her plants. She shut the door of the greenhouse and made her way back in. 

Her first instinct was to check for Harley, and much to her surprise again, the blonde had dozed off on the soft couch. Well, her exhaustion was justified considering she had indeed slept in the greenhouse last night. As Ivy didn’t feel like interrupting Harley’s peaceful stance, she quietly tiptoed to the kitchen and placed her tools away in the shelves. 

It wasn’t long before Ivy returned to the lounge with the sole purpose of just observing the sleeping woman. Despite Ivy’s irritation, she couldn’t keep her gaze away. It wasn’t often that Ivy had a weakness, but this one was by far her worst. 

It was almost funny, just how often Poison Ivy considered herself more plant than human, only for that to be untrue. 

With a sharp inhale, Ivy’s gaze slipped away from the blonde before she marched into her bedroom and shut the door. 

Pam shook her head, realizing that her gaze had lingered for far too long. She was being drawn back in because Harley was like a force she couldn’t avoid. The blonde was the one poison Ivy was yet to become resistant to. 

But, she wasn’t sure she could. 

Harley hut her multiple times, and Ivy knows she had been weak to let her in every single damn time. 

The blonde was willing to pull the trigger, Ivy’s life could’ve come to a very sudden end, and yet she was again feeling _something_ that a sane mind wouldn’t. 

Could it be that Ivy was more similar to Harley than she had first initially thought?

Maybe she was crazy after all….

Only a few hours later did the sky begin to turn a strong shade of orange, indicating that the sun was setting and that the cold night was about to hit Gotham. Pam hadn’t stepped out of the bedroom a single time. Various sounds of pots and pans hitting each other sounded in the kitchen, and it was a mere reminder of Harley’s _unwanted, dangerous_ presence. 

Ivy figured it was the easiest to pretend to be asleep. That way, she could avoid any interaction with Harley that was far from necessary. The less they saw each other, the quicker Harley could leave. Most importantly, the less Ivy would feel….much to her dismay to admit. 

Pam spent hours reading, and she didn’t really intend on stopping any time soon. That was, however, the initial belief. But even that was quickly shattered when a soft knock on the door forced her eyes away from the page. 

Ivy sighed, “What is it?” There was a moment of silence after that, but of course Harley didn’t let it settle for long. 

“I made dinner.” The blonde replied from the other side and Ivy was no stranger to hearing Harley’s grin even without seeing her face. 

“Well, I suppose you should eat up then.” Ivy’s response was blunt, and she was sure it was enough to send a message that practically screamed ‘go away’. 

Obviously, Harley hadn’t even attempted to read between the lines. 

“Yeah, I meant for the both of us! Me and you!” She sounded more eager this time, like a young child educating an older adult.

Ivy resisted the urge to roll her eyes and slammed her book shut, “What makes you think I want to sit at a table with you?” 

Harley huffed from the other side before a rough sound rung out against the door. Ivy assumed it was Harley’s forehead resting against the block of wood that separated them. 

“Because we’re friends.” 

There was a small infection in Harley’s voice that made her words sound more like a question than a statement. If Pam had a say in it, Harley was very correct in questioning their ‘friendship’ status right now. 

“We, quite frankly, are not friends, Harleen. I have stated so before. This is merely a helping hand.” 

Though she wasn’t really hungry, the idea of someone else making dinner sounded really appealing. But this time, Ivy refused to listen to her tainted heart. Her mind was much smarter and made better decisions. And right now, it was telling her to stay cooped up in the bedroom. 

After another moment of silence, Pam began to assume that Harley had decided to leave their conversation at that. Her eyes sunk back to the book, but the blonde’s voice rung out again, interrupting her train of thought. 

“I made ya a fruit salad, and uh, filled up a glass of water.” 

Ivy’s jaw twitched while a cloud of indecisiveness floated above her. She did need her water and Harley’s first sign of thoughtfulness was rather warming, but Ivy was angry. 

She had been enraged. 

And anger didn’t simply evaporate into the air. Especially not from someone like Poison Ivy. 

“Red, come on! Please, I’m beggin’ you….” Harley knocked against the door in hopes that the sound would get to the redhead woman. 

“Quit that, Harleen, I’m trying to read.” Ivy stated right after she had made her mind up. Making herself comfortable on the bed, she flicked the pages to one side and began reading. This time, Pam wasn’t going to cave in, she had done enough of that in the past. 

She had always wanted to protect the blonde from danger, but Ivy realized she couldn’t do that forever. If Harley continued to place herself in harms way, keeping her safe was surely inevitable. Ivy was done helping someone who didn’t seem to want any help. 

Most importantly, it was time to grow stronger than her weakness allowed her to be. 

With her orbs back on the book, the silence returned and it was a beautiful sound. She was so focused on the letters that the quiet knocking almost went unnoticed. Ivy leaned back with a heavy sigh and shut her eyes. 

“I said I’m not hungry and I’m reading, Harley. Please leave me to it.” 

No words came from the other side, but the knocking grew louder with each second that ticked by. Ivy was tempted to ignore it, however, the frequency of the knocks made it impossible to focus on her book. 

“Harley, stop that! It’s incredibly childish!” Ivy warned to no avail. 

“I’ll stop as soon as ya come out!” The blonde continued to knock for minutes after that, making various melodies and rhythms. 

It was only after Ivy reached a very important chapter in the book that she suddenly found the urge to snap. 

“What could you possibly want from me?” Her voice was loud, but it didn’t appear to bother Harley in the slightest. It was enough to stop the knocking though. 

“I want you to come eat because I made dinner and you know I can’t cook so that just shows my effort all the more.” The blonde rambled and laid her knuckles against the wood for the final time, “I promise I’ll let ya read after your plate is empty. Pinky promise!” 

Ivy knew Harley was a stubborn individual who was fixated on getting what she wanted. Though usually she’d admire that quality, right now she couldn’t find the words to describe how much she despised it. Knowing that, Pam was aware that the only way for the intrusive knocking to stop without causing much more of a disturbance was to listen to the blonde. 

Sighing heavily in annoyance, Ivy pushed herself up from the bed and yanked the door open, causing Harley to stumble forward into Ivy’s frame. She recovered quickly and grinned at the redhead in a very pleased manner. 

“You’re all green again.” She noticed and Ivy nodded wordlessly, hoping it showed that she wasn’t looking for a conversation. 

Without a word, Harley’s strong fingers found her arm as she began guiding her towards the small table in the kitchen. 

Ivy was met with the gracious smell of fruits and the promised glass of water. She sat down hesitantly and Harley followed suit. The grin that was plastered across the blonde’s face could only suggest that she was glad about the progress she made.

But in truth, Ivy did not consider this any type of progress. It did very little to erase the fact that Harley was willing to put a bullet between her eyes and happily pounce out of there with The Joker in hand. With those thoughts surrounding her, Ivy poked at the fruit and with each blink, the plate seemed less and less enticing. 

Harley noticed and shifted in her chair, “Ya gonna eat?” She questioned with a raised brow much to Ivy’s dismay. 

The redhead didn’t have an answer to that like she had for a lot of things. Truth was, she wasn’t sure. Sitting face to face with Harley after what she had done was strange to say the least. Knowing that the woman she spent weeks caring for was willing to throw her under the bus so easily felt unsettling. 

Ivy wanted, more than anything, to erase the good memories the pair had shared so that all of this wouldn’t be so difficult. 

Whether she would admit it or not, avoiding Harley’s gaze entirely was getting harder by the minute. Not because the colour of her eyes was very spectacular, but because Ivy could remember how Harley looked at her once. 

“If I eat, will you let me read?” Ivy asked and Harley nodded with a small smile, much less psychotic looking this time. 

She could tell the blonde was taken aback that Ivy no longer put up a show against this, but she supposed the quicker she got this over with, the faster she’d return to her peaceful activities that didn’t involve Harley. Ivy bit into the strawberry and closed her eyes in hopes of pretending the blonde woman was never even there to begin with. 

She ate with her eyes closed and Harley hadn’t uttered a single word the entire time as she focused on her own food at hand. 

Minutes later, the bowl of fruit was empty, so Ivy reached for the glass of water and just as the rim touched her lips, Harley’s voice came through gentle. 

“Red…” She began, obviously not used to this much lack of attention from Pam, “Can you please just say somethin’? Anythin’ at all, even a hello would do.” 

Ivy sighed, “hello, Harleen. There, are you satisfied?” 

Harley bit her lip to suppress a frown, though it was still very much so visible despite her best attempts, “I just wanted to say that I’m sorry again, okay? And I’ll let ya get back to readin’ but I just wanted to do this one good thing for you.” She stated with a small sigh, “I’m sorry and I hope that someday we can be what we were before.” 

Ivy raised a brow, hating the feeling of her heart tugging against itself in her chest, “And what is it we were before, hm?” 

She felt that asking that was important. Just exactly what was she to Harley? Her safe haven only for when she needed her? Harley’s emotional support? Her doctor that didn’t even have the correct qualifications for dealing with physical injuries? Surely, she was no friend. Ivy was certain that wasn’t how friends treated each other. 

Harley seemed to pause at this because the look that was glinting in Ivy’s eyes warned her to not say the word ‘friends’. 

“Pals.” She settled for that word instead, which lead to Ivy sighing loudly. 

“Maybe I was your friend. But you, Harleen, you were far from that. You were never a friend. Friends don’t hurt one another, and I can’t remember a time where I’ve hurt you as bad as you hurt me.” 

Ivy wasn’t a woman who talked about feelings, much less so explicitly. She was reserved with a façade only a few could see through, Harley being one of those people. Pam pretended not to feel since it was easier than way. Human emotion was a distraction, and she couldn’t stray away from her sole goal of protecting the environment because of some _feeling_. 

_Pam, you’re lying to yourself_. 

Harley swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat and shook her head, “Then I’m sorry I hurt ya.” 

Ivy seemed to simply smile at this. But it wasn’t a smile of happiness. It was bitter, and Harley began to wish that Pam hadn’t smiled at all. 

“Yeah, I’ve heard that one before.” The redhead agreed and got up from the table with the glass clenched tightly between her fingers. 

“I hope you can forgive me. I know I’m not easy ta forgive, Pammy.” Harley repeated again in hopes of igniting something within Ivy, “I know you have a heart too.” 

Ivy turned around to face her, her next line cold and almost void of any emotion, “And even with that knowledge, you use it endlessly, until it can work no more.” 

Harley seemed at a loss words, her jaw twitching in a way that signalled she wanted to say something in her defence, but there was nothing more to really state. 

Ivy knew she won then, and dare she hope that those words opened Harley’s eyes to the inevitable. 

Turning on her heel, Pam left the kitchen quietly, where a lone Harley stood, torn between two worlds in the very same way that Ivy was. 

// 

As she heard the door of the bedroom close quietly, Harley relaxed herself though her stance remained stiff. 

She felt tears pluck at her eyes so her only response was to blink rapidly until there was no sign left of them. The blonde hadn’t mean to hurt Ivy again. 

Harley wasn’t very good with words, she knew that. Sure, she always had a lot of them to say, but they were never uttered right or with much thought. 

The two hemispheres of her brain had really divided into two that afternoon. One thinking of the Joker, and the other flashing images of Ivy. 

Rough hands fought with delicate ones. A pale skin clashed with green in her mind and soon, the two bodies became one. Even that had slipped away from Harley. 

As she slouched against the couch and closed her eyes, Ivy and her Puddin’ stared at her hopefully, both stretching out a hand for her to take.

There was always one hand a person needed more. 

“I’m so sorry, Red.” Harley whispered brokenly, “I’m not doing it to hurt you.” 

She spoke into the night’s air freely now, “It’s love, and love makes us crazy.” 

_Makes us crazy._

Her words hadn’t been a lie at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :( Whoops, I did it again.


	7. Chapter 7

_Loves makes people crazy_

Pam thought for a moment before shaking her head in disagreement with her own words. No, she was no believer of that. People didn’t change because of others. If love made them crazy, they were always damn crazy to begin with. Love wasn’t a tool of change, it wasn’t responsible for that. 

With a yawn, the redhead’s green skin turned more human as it was time to wish her plants a good morning. With a pair of leggings and a tank top, Pam was about to open the door of the bedroom, but the silence of her home stopped her. She couldn’t pick up the sound of Harley shuffling about, so Ivy assumed the blonde was still asleep. 

Good. Pam was in no mood for a conversation, she wasn’t even sure she’d ever be. 

Throwing her door open, she quietly made her way towards the lounge. She turned to the couch, expecting to find a sleeping Harley with a messy head of hair. Yet, Ivy’s eyes found no sign of blonde locks or anything else of Harley’s sort. 

She wasn’t in the kitchen either and no sounds of water came from the bathroom. Pam’s last assumption could only lead her to the garden. But after stepping inside of the greenhouse, the absence of Harley Quinn began to feel heavy. 

Ivy thought that with the woman around, she was supporting a weight, but she had been wrong. With her now gone, the weight wasn’t lifted. No, it doubled in size, almost sending Ivy to her knees as she couldn’t uphold it. The strings of her heart pulled harshly as she sunk her hands into the dirt. 

Her heart shouldn’t have been aching the way it was. Ivy was supposed to be filled with loathing and endless rage because of what Harley had done weeks ago, but none of these negative feelings ever reached her no matter how much she’d begged for them to come. 

Poison Ivy wasn’t completely immune .

She was sick. 

Very sick indeed.

Working at the dirt rougher, Ivy didn’t need a watering can to provide for the plants. She was _crying_ and feeling too much.

//

Harley left in the very early hours of the morning, even before the sun could kiss the skies. She made her way across the suburbs until she reached central Gotham. The air felt awfully grim as she neared to The Joker’s hideout. 

He was waiting for her, Harley knew that, so with a grin plastered across her face, she yanked the door open and jogged inside. 

“Puddin’!” Harley chirped through clenched teeth, unable to stop her smile from growing as endless warmth filled her from head to toe.  
“Harley, girl!” The man in purple greeted from behind her, causing Harley to whip around. Her cheeks almost pained from the intensity of her smile, but she pushed through it while she ran up to him, her mind and body pushing the memories of her latest beating behind her. 

She deserved it…she deserved it. 

Wrapping the taller clown in a tight hug, she planted a soft kiss against his lips. For a second, he stood still, but for Harley it was too short. She didn’t dare object though because Mistah J was busy, and that was okay.

“Where have you been?” He questioned with a tap to her chin and Harley’s eyes widened in response. 

_I knew he cared!_

“With Ivy.” She answered honestly, far too lost in his gaze to even consider any sort of consequences that could come from speaking the truth. 

“Oh, is that so?” The Joker hummed with a sly grin, “And she let you back in like the dog you are?” 

Harley nodded in confirmation, though the last part of his wording she found to be unnecessary. Unnecessary but still okay because Mistah J was always right in her eyes. 

He gleamed and clasped his hands together, “You’re a dog, Harley. But you’re my dog, and you know me…I don’t like sharing. Now go sit down for me like the good bitch you are while I think of something _fun_ for us to do. I’m sure Isley kept you bored.” 

Harley nodded eagerly with a small giggle, “Yeah, she was pretty borin’ and I’ve missed ya so I had to come back, and I’m sure you missed me too!”

The Joker dismissed her while she took a seat on the rough couch that was in great contrast to Ivy’s in all sorts of ways. Fun. Her and Mistah J loved fun, and they always had the best fun. 

She beamed with excitement and joy, glad to have returned home. Her heart, however, didn’t sit with her right this time. It was missing something and it wasn’t very full despite her Puddin’s presence. 

It was a dull ache, not painful enough to bother Harley, but enough to be noticeable. Frowning, she shifted on the couch uncomfortably, trying to ease the dull thumping. 

Her eyes narrowed as guilt overcame her, but Harley refused to say _her_ name out loud inside her head. 

She belonged to her Puddin’ and not to the woman who painted herself green whenever she pleased. 

She belonged to the clown man, and not the green eyes or red hair that rested atop her skin dully when she most needed it.  
Harley was The Joker’s, she was the property of his lean arms, and not the equal partner of much softer fingers that caressed her bruises. 

She was owned by rough punches, not the tranquil, comforting strokes of green hands. 

The redhead would never understand real love, but Harley had it all. 

And she wasn’t a woman who would throw away such intense affection. 

While she had been drowning in her thoughts for hours, battling between the right and the wrong, The Joker was forming another plan to cease any form of interaction between the two women who were beyond complex. 

He had failed last time. 

But this was going to be different, he was going to make sure of it personally. 

Grinning, the clown’s throat released a chain of sadistic laughs and behind him, Harley joined in.

“That’s right. It’ll be fun, you and I will play another little game.” 

Despite her complete trust in him, Harley swallowed thickly as she wasn’t that enticed by the idea any more. Memories of the last game they played came rushing back like a punch to the gut, Harley wasn’t completely sure if she wanted to play again. 

“It doesn’t involve Red, does it?” 

The Joker’s smile grew wider, “Oh come on, Harley girl. If she wasn’t present it wouldn’t be near as fun and trust me, I want to make sure you experience as much fun as you can.” 

Ignoring the implications, Harley nodded with a small grin of her own. 

The Joker knew what’s best, and Harley trusted him. 

She knew they shared a love like no other. 

(The other love had been ignored because maybe, it sounded too good to be true.) 

//

It had been exactly a week since the last time she saw Harley and so slowly, the thoughts of blue eyes and blonde hair began to disintegrate all over again. 

Ivy made a promise to herself. She was only to think of her plants and not another human. It was time to become strong, and what better time to do it than when her weakness left her free…

Or so Ivy thought…

The evening sun began to settle and Ivy just finished up tending to her garden. Static came from the radio at first as Ivy turned it on. She supposed listening to the evening news was going to do her no harm. 

Ivy had been expecting announcements of heists, bank robberies or murders. There was none of that…

What the reported did mention was that a blonde woman, hiding beneath the name of Harley Quinn, was tied with thick ropes on top of an office building, and of course behind her was The Joker. 

Ivy turned the radio off and didn’t hesitate to run out the front door. 

// 

The plan didn’t take long for Joker to come up with. For him, it was quite easy. Just use Harley as leverage and the rest would fall into place. 

“Sit still.” He instructed as Harley shifted in the chair. 

It was awfully close to the edge of the multiple story building and she was starting to get a little nauseous at the sight below her. 

“I’d make a big splat, Puddin’.” She swallowed thickly and closed her eyes for a moment. 

Joker shrugged in response and then laughed, his signature grin widening on his face, “Now, wouldn’t that be fun?” 

Harley’s eyes widened and she found the courage to shake her head despite always being obedient. Sure, she wouldn’t hesitate to die for the clown man. She loved him. But right now, going splat seemed kind of pointless. At least to her. 

“I don’t like this prank.” She murmured and tugged at the thick ropes though her limbs couldn’t really budge. 

Below them stood a handful of news reporters. A lot of cameras were pointed at her and Harley wondered when the Bat would show up. Now, she did know that The Joker wasn’t after Batman. He had told her he wanted to prank Ivy. But Batman could very much so ruin the entire prank. 

How could they even be sure that Ivy would show up? Harley left her without a word again, so it wouldn’t surprise her if the redhead never came. 

Joker, however, seemed to have more hope than her. There was a little worry stretched across his face as he scouted the skies for Batman, but she saw his smile widen as a lean figure emerged from the shadows behind them. 

“Let her go.” Ivy’s voice ripped through the tense air. 

Those words had consequences. Joker placed the barrel of a gun right against Harley’s forehead, and the change in their position was very ironic. It almost made Harley giggle. 

The Joker raised a brow, “Let her go off this building? Sure, I’ll give her a little kick and she can imitate Batman for a second before SPLAT!” 

He laughed, and Harley could swear she saw Ivy, the queen of plants and nature itself, flinch. 

Maybe she underestimated the intensity of the situation. But her Puddin’ wouldn’t push her, now would he? Harley felt her throat tighten around itself as the gun dug deeper into her skull. The fact that Joker’s finger rested tightly against the trigger made her stomach drop. He was…kind of delusional at times, Harley knew that, but so was she. She had trust in him…

And all of this was just a silly prank. 

Harley had no idea why Joker wanted to _prank_ Ivy apart from his hatred for sharing, but this idea was no longer of appeal to her, not when he placed a foot on the chair and a bunch of threats left his parted lips. 

“One more step Isley and I swear this bitch will go flying.” He smirked and her steps immediately came to a halt. 

The blonde had no idea what was rushing through Ivy’s mind in that moment, but it felt relieving knowing that the woman still seemed to value Harley’s life despite all her wrongdoings. 

It was almost eye-opening…

“What do you want?” Ivy dared to ask, which earned a thoughtful look from Joker. 

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe for you to stay away from my _bitch_ !” 

She heard Ivy scoff, “You’ve got a mouth on you, Joker. Didn’t you tell me you were a man of manners before?” 

His only response was pushing his foot against the chair harsher. It tipped a little, dangling over the edge, and only then did Harley’s anxiety begin to rise. 

“Mistah J! It’s a little too far on the edge, I think!” Harley commented frantically while the people below them gasped. As per usual, the Joker failed to acknowledge her, his eyes trained on Ivy instead. He could have this chair thrown off the building with a single kick, and maybe Harley didn’t like the clown man having _this_ much power over her. 

“I’ll stay away,” Ivy put her hands up in front of her as a sign of surrender, but the rage glinting beneath her eyes was unmissable, “Just put her down.” 

She was sure Joker saw it too because the gun hadn’t moved from her head and his foot was still firmly placed against the wooden chair she was tied to. 

“You know, doctor…I should have put you down the last time I saw you. I’ve heard stories about you. A certain professor almost killed you twice.” He placed a thumb on his chin to put emphasis on his false thinking, “What was his name? Oh, that’s right! Jason Woodrue! Well, let me help him. Third time is the charm, right?” 

At the mention of that certain name, Ivy’s stance seemed to stumble. The thoughts that were running through her head came to a sudden halt and her eyes seemed to shift from The Joker to somewhere else…

A place she left years ago…

With Ivy now distracted, Joker gave a curt nod to the darkness. Behind her, three goons emerged, all holding a weapon each. 

“Puddin’, I thought you said it was a prank…” Harley began to panic now but it earned her a sharp slap across the face. 

“Shut up before you meet Isley’s fate.” 

A sudden scream emerged from behind him and Harley’s heartbeat quickened pace as she tried to look past the clown. 

Her gaze landed on a crumpled Ivy, who held her stinging shoulder tightly. She could smell burning flesh in the night’s air while one of the other goons delivered a kick to the redhead’s stomach. 

This wasn’t Ivy…

Harley furrowed her brows, “Make it stop! Ya said it was a prank!” She managed to scream despite her rising fear and anxiousness. 

What the hell was going on? Why wasn’t Ivy fighting back? 

“Ivy!” Harley tried to snap the woman out of whatever stance she was in, but it was of no use as another swift kick was delivered to her ribs. 

Ivy grunted, her limp hands forming into fists against the concrete. 

“Burn her!” Joker instructed without much thought. 

Oh no…

Fire killed plants completely. It didn’t take a genius to figure that out. 

Suddenly, Harley’s world came to a very quick stop. 

If Ivy wasn’t going to fight back, she’d be a dead woman…

Harley could feel those soft green hands against her own skin, patching her up from head to toe without a single complaint. Green eyes settled on her own as Harley was thrown into a deep sea of thoughts, and Ivy never seemed to gaze away from her. She stared with such focus, it seemed like nothing else had been surrounding them at all. Harley was the only thing Ivy saw.  
And Harley needed to see the plant queen now too, before she met a sudden end. 

Swinging forward, Harley’s chair hit the concrete surface of the office block. The sheer impact and force enabled the chair to shatter. Harley forced herself to her feet before she could begin to congratulate herself for her strength. 

The sudden sound made Joker’s goons stop, their attention shifted to her instead of Ivy, causing the blonde to release a sigh of relief. 

Though the smell of something burning was still very rudely invading her nostrils, Harley slid past the Joker and swung a fist towards one of the men. 

“Harley!” Puddin’s voice wasn’t pleasant at all and she feared turning around. 

She knew there was no way back now and Ivy’s life was on the line. 

Ivy finally lifted her head from the concrete with a pained moan, her eyes settling on Harley, who smiled apologetically. 

Harley couldn’t let this go on. This was her wake up call, Ivy’s life was at risk and losing the woman meant more than losing herself. 

Who else would patch her up at nights? Who’s delicate hands would touch her when she needed comfort most? Who would smile and acknowledge her failed seriousness? Joker did none of those things… 

And despite the pain that came with realizing that, Harley fought through. 

It was a long time coming. 

Dodging a punch, Harley threw herself against the ground and swiftly kicked the goon across his ankles. He crumbled to the floor with a panicked yelp, which seemed to break The Joker out of his still position. 

Harley wasn’t sure she was seeing things anymore. Her vision had turned blurry a long while ago, and her coherent thoughts disintegrated into something a sane person wouldn’t see. 

Harley Quinn wasn’t sane at all. Ivy’s eyes were suddenly on her and Harley’s skin broke out in endless goosebumps. She returned the look of care and intensity, not quite sure what it projected but she hoped it was enough to tell Ivy that she’d fix this. 

Joker risked her life again, and she was so close to the edge. Literally. 

When Harley looked at his mere moments ago, she failed to find any reflection of hesitancy. She was aware that she was bound to feel more after all of this was over, but right now, her main priority was making sure Ivy wasn’t burned to a crisp. 

The redhead came here for her…to save her again. 

Now, it was Harley’s turn. 

If she didn’t do so, the blonde knew she would be burning in guilt for the remainder of her life. Ivy was her friend, her support. She was the only woman who still had some amount of faith in her, while the remainder of her _friends_ always trashed her about her dependency issues. 

_Fuck them! I have a real friend!_

And she wasn’t going to lose her, even not when Joker was spitting protests and commands at her. 

Maybe she did belong with the clown man…but lovers didn’t take friends away. 

With the goons momentarily distracted, Ivy managed to push herself up on her feet. A vine shot out from behind the plant queen, grabbing two of the remainder goons by their neck. She showed no mercy because the next thing Harley heard was a not so subtle crack, after that, a wave of silence. 

Their bodies were dropped against the ground and before Ivy could establish a solid gaze with the Joker, the clown grabbed Harley by the locks. 

She was so focused on the woman, Harley almost forgot Puddin’ was there to begin with. Harley screamed as she wasn’t expecting the tug to be so painful. 

In her great attempts to turn around and face him, The Joker made sure her face was pointed towards Ivy. 

“Hurts, doesn’t it?” He asked sharply with his gaze fixated on Ivy’s burning shoulder. 

“I’ll show you what hurts. I’ll show you just how brittle your bones are.” Ivy threatened before Joker waved the gun around. 

“No, no! You don’t get to threaten here. The man with a gun is always in power.” He shoved it against Harley’s cheek and the metal made her skin turn cold. Harley knew then, that whatever this was, was to turn out horribly wrong either way. 

If she was to join Joker’s plan, which now appeared to have one goal of killing Ivy, then she’d lose her best friend forever. Worst thing was, the clown truly held no hesitation in putting Harley’s life on the line. She could tell by his stiff body language that he no longer treated this as a joke and that whatever was slipping past his lips was a word of truth. 

Ivy stood there, her gaze not meeting Harley’s. It seemed as if though the woman’s eyes were glued to Joker’s in a battle of life or death. 

Then, she felt the Joker tighten his grip around her neck and move backwards. They stood much closer to the edge of the building this time and Harley could barely hear the shocked gasps of the audience below them. Blood was rushing to her ears by now, making it difficult to make out any other distinctive noise. 

“Another step back and I will snap you like the pathetic human that you are.” Ivy warned, which earned a laugh from Joker. 

“You think I’m afraid of death?” He asked with a shake of his head as if though to express his disappointment, “Oh Isley, death is the least scary thing. Do you want me to show you that? Just one step back and both Harley and I can make a big splat! Wouldn’t you like that, Harley girl?” 

His breath felt cold on her neck and all Harley could do was shake her head in denial, because no, she wouldn’t like that. 

Harley was still young, and dying like this…it was pointless. 

Her and Mistah J could’ve had a real purposeful death, not this. Not because he was jealous! Harley was still a capable woman, she had legs, arms and more. She wasn’t finished with her run in the life of crime. She wanted more. Harley craved the thrill and the kick of adrenaline she got every time from stealing something, or committing heavier crimes. She was in no way done with this lifestyle. 

“Put Harleen down.” Ivy instructed yet again and it only made Harley more confused. 

Why the hell was Ivy trying to help her with endless effort after what Harley had done? The blonde abandoned her repeatedly, kept going back to a man she loved while neglecting her best friend. 

Harley was no true friend really, she could admit that. 

Love made people do crazy things after all…

But is love a justification for death? 

One doesn’t murder the one they love…

And Joker was willing to do that right now without question, while Ivy was practically begging for her life to be spared. 

“I will put her down for good after I put this bullet in your head.” He spat and pushed the gun away from Harley’s face to point it at Ivy instead. 

Ivy didn’t seem fazed by the recklessness of his actions. The woman simply stood there and stared at him. Harley could tell that Ivy’s lack of reaction was bothering the clown, who very evidently insisted on having control over the entire ordeal. 

“Puddin’…” It was Harley’s time to try now, “put the gun down, we can just leave. Just you and I.” 

“And then what? Have that slut come after you again?” He asked with a wide grin and before any of them could anticipate it, a loud gunshot rung out. 

Momentarily, Harley lost her ability to hear. She felt the gun go off beside her and could swear that the bullet skimmed right by her face. It didn’t hit her of course and it didn’t take long for her to figure out just where exactly the bullet had lodged itself.

Ivy released an agonizing scream before falling to her knees. Despite her inhuman abilities, the gunshot was still bound to hurt. 

Harley flinched as she observed the look on the redhead’s face. Her features were twisted in pain and rage, each emotion taking a toll on her body as she attempted to stand back up. 

But Ivy’s legs were unable to hold her weight as green blood oozed right from her knee. The woman groaned again, her deathly glare striking Joker, “I am going to kill you.” 

Harley’s eyes widened, “Red, d-don’t!” 

She knew the look. 

Harley wasn’t familiar with such gaze being directed at her, but she had seen Ivy stare at her enemies like that before they met their inevitable demise. 

She really was going to kill the clown…

Harley suddenly felt sick as Ivy managed to push herself to her feet while ignoring the pain. A chain of vines arose from behind Ivy as the woman lift her hands into the air, signalling for them to halt. 

“You have one last chance to let Harley go and I might consider giving you a quick death.” Ivy’s voice was dripping with calm rage. Calmness and anger weren’t a good mix…

The calm before the storm….

Harley swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat but even with that, she was unable to return her breath. Joker was going to kill her….or Ivy was going to kill him. 

The blonde wasn’t certain which option was worse because truth be told, they both sucked. 

“Guys, can we compromise…” She begged only to be silenced with a tight squeeze to her throat. 

Nobody said a word before Ivy made the decision that she had seen enough. Without warning, one of the vines shot out to wrap around The Joker’s waist, but he was quick to react. 

He pushed Harley, not forward or to the side. 

He slammed her body backwards instead…away from the roof and into the cold air to meet her demise. 

“No!” Harley heard Ivy scream at the same moment that her legs stopped touching the ground of the roof and her eyes met the people below her. 

She was coming down. 

Hard. 

She was going to die by Joker’s hand.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are approaching the end, I think the next chapter will be the last. Buuut, I have another fic coming out with this pairing so if any of you are interested, feel free to check it out when I post the first chapter! :) It would mean a lot!
> 
> Thank you so much for your lovely comments :')

Ivy’s scream was the last thing Harley heard before she decided it was time to close her eyes. She was coming down fast, but the strange thing was, she never felt her body touch the ground. 

Maybe she was dead? 

Harley dared to open her eyes slowly only to find herself wrapped in strong, muscular arms.

“Batsy!” She cheered before she could even stop herself. Batman didn’t look at her, he simply swung across the office building and held her tighter. The blonde wanted to scold him for taking so long to show up but decided against it since the man was in the process of saving her life. 

With the rope swinging up, Harley was thrown back onto the roof and the Batman landed gracefully in front of her. 

“Let him go, Isley.” He instructed calmly as he gazed at something in front of him. 

Harley followed Batman’s line of sight with a gnarly feeling in her gut. There he was…

Joker was hanging by his neck as Ivy’s vines were attempting to strangle all life out of him. The redhead wore a venomous gaze, her emerald eyes shining with poison and death. There was no mercy in her body, and Harley knew this was where it ended if nobody was to put a stop to it.

Joker managed to grip at the vine, but it did nothing to ease his pain. The vines squeezed harder as Ivy clenched her jaw, unable to shift her gaze away from the clown man. 

“Isley, that’s enough!” Batman snapped, which finally got to the redhead. 

She turned to him for a brief second….and grinned, yet dangerously so, “No, I’m putting an end to this. Gotham’s citizens will thank me.” 

But of course….that wasn’t how the Justice league worked. It wasn’t how Batman operated. Even the worst of the worst deserved second chances, much to Ivy’s disappointment because if it was up to her, men like The Joker would no longer walk. 

Instead, they’d crawl on their knees begging for death to visit. Ivy would deliver endless pain and suffering. 

Harley was too conflicted to say anything. The whole ordeal seemed like a blur because she was failing to figure it out coherently. 

As Joker was being deprived of his final breaths, one of the batarangs dashed through the air against the force of the wind, knocking into Ivy’s vine and dividing it half. 

Joker fell to the ground, wheezing on his knees before attempting to roll away from the plant queen. 

Ivy wasn’t having it, she wasn’t done. Before Batman could get in between the two, Pam kicked the clown in the ribs. 

Harley flinched, unable to mask the cringe upon hearing a crack. 

While her vision remained a blur of images, Batman rushed towards the redhead and tackled her to the ground. 

“I’m not the enemy here!” Ivy argued and bit back a groan of pain. Her body hadn’t had enough time to recover from the damage those dead goons managed to inflict. But Batman seemed to ignore this and instead hoisted her up on her feet. 

“Harley girl…” Joker sighed, “Be a doll and help me…” 

That’s when Ivy saw a flash of urgency in Harley’s gaze. 

“Harleen , don’t.” 

Sensing the intensity, Batman tightened his grip on Ivy, who still happened to be an Arkham escapee. The Bat was sure to put all three of them back behind bars. 

Harley didn’t budge. Her mind and body had disconnected again as they both worked against contrasting forces. This time though, there was much more agreement and awakening…

“Help you?” The blonde spat before she could even think of a solid response, “Puddin’ you pushed me!” 

“Yeah, but you’re alive, aren’t you.” He stumbled slightly, but his words left a trace of hesitancy on the blonde. 

Ivy couldn’t help but notice the irony. She scoffed at the exchange all the while silently planning an escape plan. It was simple enough to run away on her own…but she wasn’t leaving without Harley…

Joker was close to killing her, and despite the redhead’s inner conflict, Harley didn’t deserve to die. 

“I’m alive but I could’ve died! You almost killed me!” Harley screamed before pausing with a shuddering breath. 

The realisation felt like a cold slap to the face. 

_Oh…_

_That’s why Ivy was mad_. 

Harley’s gaze turned apologetic before she turned to Ivy with a sickening feeling. She understood now…How could she have been that stupid and blind? 

Thankfully, Ivy was looking back at her now. It made Harley feel like some things would be alright…

“I’m sorry.” Harley mouthed to the redhead, who’s eyes immediately softened. She knew this wasn’t Ivy forgiving her completely, but it had lifted some of the weight she felt. This was a path towards forgiveness, no matter how long or short, how straightforward or curved, Harley was prepared to walk it all. 

Before any more words could be exchanged, Joker fell to the ground with a grunt. Harley turned to see thick ropes wrapped around his legs, ceasing his movements. The clown man had a broken rib…he couldn’t exactly run, not with his feet bound anyway. 

Batman then turned to the two women, who stood frozen. Not in fear, but rather wonder. 

Ivy turned to her quickly, “You’re either with me or back at Arkham. What’s it going to be?” 

Harley swallowed the lump in her throat as she glanced at her Puddin’. 

_He tried to kill you, Harley. He was going to murder you selfishly. He wasn’t prepared to die for you. The woman in front of you was. She came here to save you._

Harley nodded and was about to take Ivy’s hand into her own when a bright flash rendered her blind. Her hands shot up to cover her face before she felt them being dragged behind her back. 

“Hey!” Harley attempted to argue as metal cuffs bound her hands together with a click. That was to surely limit her speed…

Despite the temporary blindness, Ivy managed to command the vines to wrap around Batman’s waist, suspending him in the air.

“Harley, we need to go.” She heard the redhead instruct and as if on cue, her sight began to return. 

“Stupid flash bangs…” Harley murmured and jogged back towards Ivy. The two women turned around and were ready to disappear, but the remains of Ivy’s vines hit the air when a loud bang echoed behind them. 

Ivy’s jaw tightened and they turned around, but Batman was already rushing towards them. He slid to the floor, kicking Harley’s ankles. Not strong enough to break, but harsh enough to knock her to the ground. 

“Sorry, Ivy.” He muttered before elbowing her across the face. But she was a strong woman, far more advanced than a human specimen. Batman’s rough move wasn’t enough to knock her unconscious and judging from the panicked expression on his face, it was evident he had miscalculated her capabilities. 

Even heroes made mistakes…

Ivy used that to her advantage. More vines emerged from behind her, and with a signal of her hand, the plants launched towards him aggressively.  


“I really want you two ladies to just go home already.” A feminine voice echoed from behind them, placing the fight to a halt. 

“Selina.” Ivy breathed out after having turned around. 

“In the flesh.” Catwoman smirked, but then Batman returned to his feet once more, causing her lips to fall into a straight line. 

“Kitty!” Harley chirped. She was prepared to open her arms for a hug but the restrains made sure her hands remained still. 

Selina pulled out a can from behind her and threw it to the floor. Smoke emerged onto the roof, covering most of their vision. 

Ivy was able to navigate through it and grab Harley by the arm before she tugged her away. Catwoman stared at the two with a look of finality. 

Ivy nodded in acknowledgement, but a thank you never slipped past her lips. Catwoman knew the redhead was grateful, though. 

So without another word, Ivy and Harley disappeared into the night, heading toward a much safer place. 

“I’ll need these off, ya know!” Harley motioned at the handcuffs and Ivy had to resist the urge to groan. The metal cuffs were the least of their worries. They weren’t sure how long Selina could hold out against Batman, and Ivy wasn’t intending on finding out. 

Her home was still a secure location, unexposed to the heroes of Gotham. 

“We are going home.” Ivy announced. 

Harley failed to realize that The Joker hadn’t entered her mind a single time.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there it iss, the last chapter :) Honestly, thank you all so much for the positive comments, it flooded me with happiness on multiple occasions and I truly hope you enjoyed my first DC piece. I have no intentions of stopping writing for Harley and Ivy!

“Why did you help me?” Harley questioned as Ivy backed away, now holding the loose metal cuffs in her hands. 

“Because I didn’t want your hands bound forever.” Ivy replied simply before Harleen shook her head too quickly. 

“No I mean you came to get me. Why?” She pushed on in hopes of getting an answer. Harley was utterly confused. Sure, friends saved one another, but Ivy had done that one too many times. Most importantly, Harley failed to treat her like a friend. She was selfish, repeatedly breaking trust and promises. 

Ivy seemed to pause at this for a long moment. Harley was ready to ask her again, but the redhead began speaking before she could.

“A powerful man ruined Pamela Isley.” Ivy explained with a distant look in her eyes before they shifted to focus on Harley, “and I wasn’t going to let a powerful man ruin Harleen Quinzel. I genuinely believe there’s hope for you, as long as you want it.” 

Harley leaned back in her seat to absorb it all in and reflect. 

Powerful men…

She swallowed harshly. Joker had indeed ruined her…in more ways than one. But he also built her up. The contrasting things he often did made Harley want to rip out her hair. It was frustrating, staying and going, avoiding and living…Doing opposing things almost daily. She was exhausted…

But Ivy always let her rest…

It was Pam who had been gentle with her, who had been patient and slow, wonderful and delicate. Everything that Joker wasn’t…

“He was goin’ to kill me…” Harley whispered while her mind continued to process tonight’s events. 

Ivy nodded in agreement, “that he did and it’s why you need to stay away. You have a lot ahead of you, Harleen.” 

The redhead’s words sounded almost empty, so Harley hesitated before speaking up, “can ya call me Harley?” 

“That’s what your friends call you.” Pam pointed out, again returning to their split path with the implications that they were not friends. But Harley couldn’t bear it anymore. Ivy saved her, and that was something no enemy would do. 

“Red, please…” Harley pleaded and her eyes softened. She saw Ivy’s do the same, and this time, her gaze never hardened. It remained gentle and didn’t budge from Harley’s orbs. It was the longest Ivy had looked at her in days ever since yet another betrayal, and the blonde couldn’t help but feel enlightened. 

Maybe they were moving forward? They were little steps, sure, but time healed most things…

“Okay, Harley. Okay.” Pam agreed with a roll of her eyes, but Harley knew that the less professional spin of her name did not mean they were as close as they had been before. Of course, it was a step forward. 

With her hands free, Harley massaged her wrists and sighed. Only then, when silence surrounded them, did her mind begin to move back to Joker. 

He wasn’t dead, she was aware. 

The clown was probably back behind bars by now and Harley wasn’t sure exactly how to feel.

Betrayal, however, was very evidently felt within her. Variations of other emotions coursed through her body but Harley was unable to set her focus to them, not when her Puddin’ did what he did. 

“I did tell him that I’d die for him before.” Harleen admitted with a shrug in attempts to convince herself that he was just following her wording…that he wasn’t selfish. 

“You weren’t dying for him. He was going to murder you so he could get away. He was afraid of losing against me. Your death would have been pointless, Harley. Just a mere distraction and nothing more.” Ivy’s words sent shudders through her body. 

The plant woman was wise, and Harley didn’t want to hear her, but she was right. 

It would have been pointless. 

She was just a distraction. 

Bait. 

Was that love?

Her head was spinning by now. The frequency of thoughts rushing through her damaged brain were too much to handle at once. She needed some rest. Something to numb it all. 

“I think I wanna sleep, Red.” She admitted with her head hung low. 

Ivy motioned towards her bedroom, figuring her bed was far more comfortable than the couch, “Use my bed while I fix myself up.” 

Harley nodded and headed across the living room with a yawn, never looking back, far too occupied with her thoughts. 

//

Despite the other woman’s presence within her home at the moment, Poison Ivy felt…alone. It was silent, as if though no people occupied her home. It was true that Ivy did value the silence, but whenever Harley was around, she was accustom to various sources of sound. Mostly it was just the blonde rambling about something irrelevant, but it was still always pleasant to listen to. 

Now, the atmosphere felt awfully strange. Harley was here but she was more quiet than ever. Pam felt alone, like Harley hadn’t been back at all and so she didn’t know what to do with herself or where to begin. 

Things were different now…and that was an understatement. 

She had no access to Harley’s thoughts, which was quite frustrating considering Harley always spoke her mind and was honest. At times even too honest. However at the current moment, Pam wasn’t aware of what the woman was thinking. 

The redhead wanted to ensure Harley was okay before anything. It couldn’t have been easy leaving the person one was supposedly in love with to a horrible fate. 

With a shake of her head to scatter her thoughts, Ivy limped into the kitchen and opened up her first aid kid. 

Bandages and a knife would do…

Ivy lowered herself onto the kitchen floor and clutched the knife tightly. She positioned it right at the wound and began digging around. Yelping, she was eventually able to yank the bullet out without much fuss. Her bandage job had been okay, Ivy made sure to tie a tight knot around her leg and allow her body to do the rest. 

Given a few hours, she knew her leg would be more than fine. Oh, the perks of being an extraordinary specimen…

Usually, the anxiety of given situations would make her pace endlessly around the home, but this time she was forced to sit on the couch and actually give her thoughts a proper moment of reflection. 

Harley….she chose her tonight. 

Joker’s fate had been decided as soon as Batman showed up, and despite knowing what it was going to entail, Harley stood by her side…

Pam wore a subtle smile on her face without even realizing. She felt much lighter, Harley was here, Joker was behind bars and most importantly, they were safe. Safety was never guaranteed, Ivy wasn’t sure how much time they had to make the best out of this situation, but right now everything seemed okay. 

Maybe things were beginning to look up?

Harley chose her…

_Isn’t that what I always wanted?_  


Ivy shut her eyes and laid her head to rest on the couch. She still wanted to be mad at Harley, the blonde was very much deserving of her rage, but she stood by her side tonight despite the sickness that plagued her. 

The addiction…Harley threw it aside to make sure Ivy was safe. 

Pam wasn’t going to forget that because maybe this was Harley’s road to recovery? 

Ivy needed to ensure there was no time for relapse…

Surprisingly, Ivy slept past the sunrise. It wasn’t often her natural body clock didn’t awaken her, but thankfully, Harley shook her by the shoulders to ensure she wasn’t dead. 

“Are ya alive?” Harley squinted to get a closer look at her bandaged leg, her fingers tracing just below the damaged skin to assess it. Even though really, she wasn’t assessing it in any sort of way. 

Ivy sat up right and nodded, “Very much so, though yesterday could have ended up differently.” 

Harley seemed to agree with raised brows, “Yeah, can’t believe I’m ‘bout to say it but I’m glad batsy showed up!” 

Ivy remained silent, her thoughts momentarily returning to Selina, who graced them with her presence last night. It had been a kind act and one Ivy wasn’t going to forget…

“Listen, I’ve been thinkin’…” 

That peaked Ivy’s interest, so with a raised chin she encouraged Harley to continue. The girl seemed hesitant and Pam noticed the dark bags under her eyes. So Harley hadn’t slept? Pam knew her bed wasn’t the problem, so it was most likely Harley’s thoughts keeping her up at night. 

“I think you were right all along,” She managed to utter out, though her tone was laced with hesitancy, “I don’t think Puddin’ loves me anymore. Maybe he never had…I don’t wanna think I was just a toy to him, though.”

From the expression Harley wore, Pam could tell her heart was aching. It was similar to Ivy’s own pain as she was no stranger to her chest squeezing against itself until she could barely breathe. Heartache used to be a foreign concept to Ivy, until it wasn’t… 

Harley made her accustom to it, but Ivy couldn’t find it in herself to hate the blonde woman. Harleen was damaged, very much like Pam was. 

They needed each other to be fixed...

“You weren’t a toy, Harleen. You were a useful asset.” Harley’s eyes seemed to light up at her words, but Ivy quickly shut that down, “useful but not irreplaceable.” 

She didn’t say it to hurt the other woman. It was the mere truth of Harley’s situation and right now, the last thing Ivy wanted to do was lie. If she was to convince Harleen that Joker was no good for her, it needed to be done through honesty. 

Of course Ivy had attempted to do that before, but she couldn’t help and notice that last night seemed to be eye-opening, especially that Harley decided to stay awake the entire night and go over things on her own. 

“What do you think I should do?” Harley suddenly asked, taking Ivy by surprise. 

“Honestly, I don’t know.” There was the honesty again. Ivy was used to figuring things out for Harley, but this was something she didn’t have an answer to. Pam couldn’t just up and decide Harley’s fate, the blonde could do that all by herself, so the plant queen continued, “You let the Joker make grand decisions without an input, Harleen. Right now, you have the power to make a choice for yourself so do what you please with it.” 

Harley shifted on the couch beside her, her nails digging into her palm. She took a deep breath and leaned back, “Have you ever been in love?” The words seemed to almost get stuck in her throat as Harley articulated the sentence with difficulty.

Ivy blinked. Once, then twice, quite unsure on how to answer that. Has she? She was afraid to think about that for too long, but deep within, the answer to Harley’s question was more than evident. 

“I don’t know.” Ivy responded with a bite to her lip. It was a signal of uncertainty, yet the one thing she knew was that feelings always resulted in damage. Pamela Isley felt fascinated once and because of that, she was never the same. Woodrue abused her trust, her mind, her body. He ruined everything that kept Pamela sane. 

And here Harley was, staring her in a way that made Ivy want to give herself up, much like she had with Woodrue. 

She wanted to trust, ached to _love_ , but she was Poison Ivy. Love was poisonous. 

Despite that sore reminder though, she knew that the heart wants what it wants. 

For quite some time now, Pam was more than aware of what her heart wanted. But she was trying to protect herself from the inevitable. Harley proved that to be very much so impossible…

The blonde didn’t just walk into her life. Harley came crashing down on all fours, stumbling and tripping. She was an utter mess, and Pam wanted to fix her, nourish her back to life. 

She hated herself for it. 

“I have.” Harley muttered much to Ivy’s confusion. 

“What?” 

“Been in love.” She explained with a shrug of her shoulders, “and love almost got me killed tonight.”  
“Yes, we can’t deny that.” Ivy agreed with a nod, though she felt bad doing so. Love, despite its dangers, was meant to mend people. Harley’s love had been an entire different case. Pam liked to think that it was more of an obsession than a burning passion. 

Harley continued to stare at her, eyes unmoving. But those blue orbs got closer to the emerald green that belonged to Ivy, so close until they blurred into one. 

Harley’s lips were moving against her own, and Ivy hesitated at first before gaining the ability to reciprocate. Far too soon for Pam’s liking, Harley pulled back. What Ivy didn’t expect to find was an equally confused look shining in the blonde’s eyes that mirrored her own. 

Pam struggled to process what happened, her thoughts scattered and ripped in half by the sudden force of the kiss. Her fingertips shook while Harley’s body remained still. 

“Why?” Ivy was able to breathe out in question. 

“I think I care about you, like a lot.” Harley’s tone was different. It was far from the normal child-like voice she’d use. Her words had been deep, laced with something dreamy and raspy. 

Pam wasn’t sure how to take her words, but one thing was certain, “I care about you too. A lot.” 

Harley nodded with a subtle lick to her lips, though her eyes appeared worried, “Good, because carin’ is scary and I don’t think I can handle scary things alone, Red.” 

“You don’t have to face anything alone.”

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think!


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